Building a Better Prayer Time Within the eGroup

Prayer enables us to discover what God is doing, to trace his hand in the circumstances of our lives. Through the vital communication of prayer, he transforms us in the process. Prayer, therefore, is not so much a means of manipulating the master plan, but of being shaped by the master's hand. - smallgroups.com

Teaching people to move beyond their own agenda to touch the heart and passion of God will be a challenge, but it will deepen and enliven your prayer life. -Wayne Jacobsen; Leadership Journal, copyright 2001

As your eGroup grows and matures, the prayer life of the eGroup will take on more and more importance.  And, as your leadership grows and matures, your ability to lead and guide the prayer time of your eGroup should also grow and develop.

There are many different ways to lead and guide the prayer time with your eGroup, as well as many styles and variances of what the prayer should look like within the group setting.  Below are some examples to push your eGroup prayer time to the next level:

1. Keep It 'Within the Family': You need to make sure that the topics of the prayer discussion are centered on the immediate needs and immediate family of the eGroup members.  You are going to run into a danger of depth if you allow the prayer to dive into extended relationships and extended circumstances.
2. Use Scriptures to Pray Through: This suggestion can take on many different faces and methods.  You, as the leader, can pray Scripture over the eGroup or over the member specifically, or you can find verses where you can substitute someone's name in place of the pronoun used in the verse.  Or, you can take verses of encouragement and cast it over the group as a whole.  To be simple, it is hard to go wrong in using God's word as a major part of the prayer time with the eGroup.
3. Break into Smaller Groups of People: Sometimes, people are scared to pray in the setting of the eGroup.  Therefore, break into smaller groups of people or by gender and give them a topic to pray over; or, divide the members into groups of two to four people, give them detailed instructions for the prayer time, and challenge someone to lead the group.  This will allow the shy person to pray only in a small group instead of the larger setting.
4. Use Index Cards: Allow your eGroup members to write down their requests or their concerns on an index card.  You'll see that often times people are more likely to write a prayer down than they are to share it with the eGroup verbally.  Make a plan for the index card; have them either share it with you, one other eGroup member, or the "person on their left." Either way, set up the expectations for the card and empower the eGroup member to share their prayer or their concern in writing.
5. Lay Hands on Someone in the eGroup: When someone has a major concern or issue, or if someone in their family has a major prayer request, do not be afraid to bring them into the middle of a circle, have everyone lay hands on them, and then lead the eGroup in a prayer for that person.  This takes boldness on your part and clarity on what to pray for, but it will go a long way towards building the closeness of the eGroup.  When you do it for the first time, it may make the person a little uncomfortable, but they will truly appreciate the gesture of being covered in prayer.

Taking your eGroup to the next level in the area of prayer is a very important role as a leader.  You need a plan, and you need to follow that plan.

• How comfortable are you with praying in front of other people?  Have you always been comfortable leading a group of people in prayer?  What steps did you go through to grow in your comfort in leading others in prayer?
• What encouragement can you give to others who struggle with praying out loud?  Develop a strategy for explaining group prayer, its dynamics and the role of the corporate prayer.